


Indistinguishable

by Crash_Martini



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: I'm apparently incapable of having them meet in any other way, Kaitou Kid Heist (Meitantei Conan/Magic Kaito), Kaitou Kid taunts his detectives, M/M, crushes are implied, they're all flirts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crash_Martini/pseuds/Crash_Martini
Summary: 'Kudou Shinichi' shows up at a heist and Hakuba Saguru is reasonably suspicious of this.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru & Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hakuba Saguru/Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan
Comments: 11
Kudos: 83





	Indistinguishable

When Kudou Shinichi showed up at Beika Museum for the heist, Hakuba had to admit he had his suspicions.

Having been present for the majority of the security preparations, he knew there really was no possible way for Kid to enter the building wearing a mask or carrying any of his usual equipment. With several metal detectors and scanners at every available entrance, anything out of the ordinary would immediately set off alarms and alert all nearby authorities. There had already been several false warnings as well, including when an average museum patron had inadvertently set off the scanners by trying to smuggle in a flask of whiskey. It had taken over fifteen minutes to restore the system and unseal the doors. They had also taken the precaution of bolting closed any unnecessary doors and securing the air vents with motion sensors. Still, Hakuba couldn't help but be wary even so. Kid had always somehow found a way past whatever security system they threw at him.

So when he spotted Kudou Shinichi standing next to Megure Juuzo, the homicide inspector he recognized from Division One, he was immediately on guard. For one, his face alone made him suspicious given its similarity to his number one suspect. And secondly, the reason he was currently getting reprimanded by Nakamori Ginzo was because he had brought something that had apparently been flagged at the entrance. He watched as the leader of the Task Force gripped what looked to be a belt in one hand, shaking it angrily while Kudou only smiled and apologized, claiming forgetfulness. The canvas strap was apparently modified in some way and Nakmori would be holding onto it for the remainder of the night. Kudou looked disappointed but didn't argue. It was possible he had expected that outcome and planned accordingly. It wouldn't be the first time some sort of trick found its way into Nakamori Ginzo's posession during a heist.

So, the face of a thief with a suspicious item on his person. Did Kid think him a fool or was he under the impression that Hakuba wouldn't be attending his 'show' that evening? Well, he couldn't very well disappoint him.

"It's not often that Division One assists in these sorts of cases," he hummed as he casually approached the other young man who was currently circling the pedestal that held the evening's quarry; Raven's End, a beautifully rounded garnet nearly the size of his palm that was set into a pendant frame of solid gold. It was gorgeous and definitely Kid's type, he had to admit. "What brings the sweetheart of Tokyo onto the stage of an illustrious thief with a homicide inspector in tow?"

There was a laugh, full of more amusement than was appropriate amongst the tense atmosphere created by the officers present. Light as it was, it only deepened his suspicion.

"Is that what the tabloids are calling me now?" he asked, straightening up to give Hakuba is attention as he moved around the case to join him. The easygoing smile on his face and the relaxed shoulders were remarkably disarming in such a situation. He hadn't been able to see Kudou work in person but from what he heard, the young man was a natural. The type to control the room despite the experience and renown of anyone else in attendance. After hearing such high praise he had hoped to one day meet and perhaps work with the other detective, but judging by the way that smile edged so close to a smirk he was going to have to wait.

"That and several other names, some more flattering than others." Actually, he realized that he had each of those nicknames memorized at this point with how often he found himself reading about him. It probably didn't help that his own father was prone to gossip and used whatever names popped up in the news. 'Easier to remember' he had told him but Hakuba suspected there were other reasons as well. Needless to say, he was no stranger to stories about other 'bright young minds' in his age range. He offered his hand in greeting anyway. "I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced. My name is-"

"Hakuba Saguru. Detective and second-year high school student. Only son of Superintendent General Hakuba of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police." The facts were listed off as if he were reading them straight from a profile summary as Kudou took his hand, giving it a firm shake and then returning to his previous observations. "Kudou Shinichi," was the only thing he got in return before the topic had already changed and Hakuba was left to drop his hand in awkward silence. "The security scanners are a nice touch but if the thief really does manage to get into this room, it would hardly be a challenge to get past the reinforced glass. He's gotten through that type of security before too so what exactly is the plan here?"

Kudou was looking at him expectantly and despite being thrown off by the encounter, Hakuba was holding firm to his suspicions. Whether this was the real Kudou Shinichi or not, he wasn't about to reveal the whole plan out loud to someone not involved in the execution.

"My apologies, Kudou-san. The fewer people who know about the additional security, the better," he declined carefully, watching for his reaction. The noncommittal hum he received in response wasn't quite what he was expecting and Kudou was already turning his attention back to the room.

"So there is something else to it," he muttered, almost to himself as he examined the room and started to wander away.

"You seem awfully interested in figuring out the trick."

"It's a detective's job, isn't it?"

He couldn't argue that point but it did nothing to alleviate his concerns. Kaitou Kid would not be able to enter this building without using his real face so what better way to do so than by using the identity of a famous detective who just so happened to look incredibly similar? There had to be some way to make sure this was the real Kudou Shinichi so he scoured his memory for anything he could use to question him about.

"Kudou-san, can I ask you a question?"

"Hm? Yeah, I guess." The response was distracted but unbothered, his suspect far more interested in investigating the room. Even if it was Kid, Hakuba was confident that the devices in place were securely hidden.

"Would you mind confirming your rumored romantic involvement with the daughter of the famous detective Mouri Kogorou?" he asked, making sure to sound casual even though he knew the question was anything but. A reaction to that question in particular would give him plenty off information to work with.

"I... it's complicated..." came the muffled and muted response. After dropping out of the public eye for nearly two years he would expect some measure of secrecy in Kudou's personal life, but the way he so easily admitted to the existence of his romantic affairs and that there might be an ongoing issue was in direct opposition to that conclusion. Colleague or not, it would be easy for Hakuba to leak such information to the media. Admitting such a thing to a man he had just met was not only foolhardy, but displayed a level of familiarity with which they had not reached in the five minutes they'd been acquainted.

Had Kid truly pegged him as so incompetent that he wouldn't see through a trick like this? His frown deepened, hardly shocked when Kudou turned to face him looking sheepish and maybe a little tired. However, it was the strange way his jaw set in determination that drew his eye.

"You think I'm Kid, right?" he asked. A sharp detective would catch on to his line of inquiry most assuredly, but so would Kid himself. It wasn't an unknown to have the thief come right out and confront him with his own observations. "I get it. Of all the people here I guess I am the most suspicious but really, I'm not Kid." Unsurprisingly, the words did not assuage his suspicion and 'Kudou' seemed to pick up on that, offering a smile and a look of understanding.

"I don't exactly want to sit here and talk about that particular topic if you don't mind, and it would be difficult to prove my innocence right now. So how about this?" he offered, stepping back toward him. "You hold on to me for the rest of the evening and I promise not to leave your sight until he shows up."

"And when the accomplice shows up in Kid's place?" he asked irritably. There were far too many holes in that plan. "We both know Kid is too intelligent to let something like that stop him."

"You're right. He'd absolutely figure out a way to ditch you during the heist or use you as an alibi." The words hit the bullseye a little too hard and the ache of disappointment in his chest reminded him just how irritated he had been when Kuroba had proved his 'innocence' in the past. "And the fact that you haven't yanked on my face tells me you know Kid's capable of impersonating me without a mask. So honestly I don't think there's anything I can do to prove it right here and now without a shadow of a doubt that I am who I say I am."

"No there really isn't," Hakuba answered without missing a beat. If it was Kid, he wanted him to know just how irritated he was about the whole thing. Impersonating another detective on Hakuba's level was a personal affront that he would not tolerate. And even if Kid would be able to worm his way out of it in the end, that didn't mean he had to make it easier on him. So when a cold metal ring snapped down and fastened over Kudou's wrist, Hakuba attached the other end to his own and resolved himself to at least make himself a hindrance to the thief's attempt. "Which is why I'm just going to make it as difficult as possible for you to run away."

Kudou looked surprised by the development, tugging experimentally on the cuffs that now linked the two of them and it seemed to gain the attention of several attendees, including the inspectors in charge.

"What are you doing now?" Nakamori yelled exasperatedly across the room, only grunting angrily as the key was tossed his way.

"Testing a theory of course, keibu-san," he answered, holding the linked chains up to show him. Nakamori looked annoyed as ever but Megure was reasonably curious and concerned.

"Whatever, just stay out of the way. Both of you!" he growled, pocketing the key. "They're fine. Just let them embarrass themselves..." He heard the soft comment to Megure as he pulled him back into their previous conversation. He ignored it and turned back to the imposter who had decided a raised eyebrow and an amused smile were appropriate in that situation.

"He really frustrates you, doesn't he?" the other asked, the calm tone only serving to raise his hackles.

"Of course he does. He's the human manifestation of a migraine," Hakuba growled, still not buying that they were talking about a third person at all. It got a genuine laugh out of his suspected delinquent though and he was starting to actually attribute that sound to the image of the real Kudou Shinichi in his head. Hakuba wondered if it was really accurate at all. It wasn't exactly the sort of sound once could label as 'lovely' or 'graceful' - it was too loud and nasal for that - but he could at least admit it was pleasant and it sounded genuine at least. Different than Kuroba's normal laugh even with the similar tone. He cursed the thief for making him overthink the sound of someone's laughter.

"That's probably the best description I've ever heard," Kudou choked out between laughs, starting to calm down but not quite there.

"It's quite possibly the most accurate," he began to say but ended up being cut off as the power cut. Instinctively he grabbed for Kudou's hand in the dark, making sure he was still there. The other hadn't moved from his side and Hakuba hastily yanked him closer to the wall and away from the pedestal. He heard stuttered complaints up until the exact moment the reached the edge of the room and Hakuba was locking one leg around his. His companion went quiet after that but their attention was immediately drawn to the figure in white standing effortlessly on the ceiling, as if gravity had no sway over such a powerful force of nature.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I'm so glad you could join me for another exciting show." It was typical showmanship, nothing out of the ordinary and Hakuba held fast to his own quarry, unconvinced that this was the real Kaitou Kid standing before them. His position above them left the laser sensors they had installed obsolete so the only thing the officers could do was try to get their hands on him, even as he waltzed along the ceiling like an actual wizard. It took everything in him to hold his position.

"He's going to get away, you know," Kudou commented from where Hakuba had him half smashed against the wall. He ignored it, holding tight as Kid hit the floor in front of them with a laugh and a spin. He grit his teeth as the officers scrambled to get over to him in time.

"Don't you think that's a little inappropriate, Tantei-san?" Kid mused, tone full of teasing. "Holding someone else so tightly on our date night? You're trying to make me jealous..." Hakuba grit his teeth even as Kid dashed away. The magician barely had enough time to get every word out before he was being chased off and Hakuba refused to respond to such a taunt. And so the room emptied of officers, the empty case abandoned, and Hakuba's conviction started to waver.

'Kudou Shinichi' was watching the door with an almost irritated expression. The heist had moved away and the case was being thoroughly inspected by the owners who quickly confirmed that the pendant was indeed missing. Hakuba frowned. This didn't prove he was wrong, he assured himself as he listened carefully to the accounts of several officers over the radio. Nakamori was shouting and Kid was making his miraculous escape.

He glanced back at Kudou again. The guy was actually starting to look bored at being detained in such a place while all of the interesting events were happening elsewhere in the building.

Was he wrong?

A comment over the radio had him rethinking his deduction as they described his escape. Kid was there and so was Kid's accomplice. So then who was this...?

"I told you he was going to get away, Hakuba," Kudou groaned, letting his head fall back to hit the wall with a dull thud. His face was mildly flushed in annoyance and Hakuba's mortification was coloring his own face to match. So this person really was Kudou Shinichi.

"You have my most sincere apology," he muttered hastily, finally allowing them both their own personal space. Kudou's jacket was completely rumpled, he noted, from where Hakuba had held himself against him for so long and his hair was starting to stick up oddly in the back from where he was slumped against the wall. The image almost seemed scandalous given the teasing words Kid had left them with and Hakuba immediately took another step back, straining both of their arms.  
"It's fine..." he sighed, stumbling to keep his balance at Hakuba's jerky overcorrection. "I'd have been more surprised if no one suspected me."

There was a long period of silence as the two stared at one another, both apparently unable to find a common topic to discuss in light of what just happened. Hakuba didn't know if he had ever been so embarrassed. Being on the receiving end of Kuroba's pranks in class and Kid's jokes was hard enough, but spouting out such baseless and decidedly incorrect accusations in front of someone he greatly admired was its own particular brand of humiliation. What was he even supposed to say after that? Thankfully he didn't have to think on it too hard because suddenly Kudou was laughing again, curling in on himself as he did so and for a moment he considered that the laughter was directed at him but Kudou was grabbing for Hakuba's arm to keep himself steady.

"Sorry! I'm not laughing at you, I swear!" he assured him even as he struggled to control himself. "It's just... I finally get to go to Kid heist in person and I spent the whole thing being a suspect. It's just funny after he got away with it so many times that I'm the one paying the price."

Hakuba could only stare as Kudou wiped the stray tears from his eyes. He felt like he was missing something important in that reaction but he had no time to analyze it due to the laughter that started to bubble up in his own chest. It was far more controlled than the other detective's but still amused.

"I truly am sorry, Kudou-san," he offered, smiling despite himself. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..." He trailed off, unsure of what he could even offer in return. Kid was already gone with the jewel and they had both effectively stood by and allowed it to happen without a fight. He was never going to hear the end of it later.

"How about we just find Nakamori-keibu and get the keys to these handcuffs?" he suggested, lifting up their still linked wrists. "Unless you're still suspicious of me?"

"There is enough reasonable doubt. And I... have nothing to hold you on."

"You held me on that wall easy enough."

"That was...!"

"I'm joking, Hakuba. Really, it's no big deal. There will be other heists to attend. Missing out on one isn't breaking my heart here."

Hakuba slipped into silence as they walked, letting Kudou take the lead. He seemed far more confident in the situation than Hakuba was at the moment anyway. It would be for the best.

Nakamori's reaction was a mixture of smug humor and irritation when they finally found him and were able to remove the cuffs. Apparently they had successfully 'embarrassed themselves', as he had predicted so their punishment was less severe. They only suffered a ten minute lecture before being released to go their separate ways and Hakuba was thankful even if the laughter was disheartening. He really had been completely wrong this time around.

"Hey, Hakuba!" he heard from behind. Kudou was calling to him from a little ways away. "I'll see you next time, alright?"

"Ah, yes of course," he called back, ignoring a couple of officers standing off to the side who were still snickering at him.

"No handcuffs next time!" Kudou laughed, finally turning around to leave with an obviously impatient Megure-keibu. The comment had Hakuba's face lighting up like a bulb and he nearly snapped at the renewed revelry of the group who were still heckling him.

No he had never felt more humiliated in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I will carry the entire SaguShin fandom on my shoulders if I have to.


End file.
